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“You can’t fire me. What? So, you’ve been on a book cover, and your stupid YouTube channel has a lot of followers. None of that will pay you what I do. And what about your mother? She’s not getting better. She’s just going to need more care.”
I shake my head in disgust. She’s played this card for far too long, and I can’t wait to never see her face again.
“Yes, she is. And I’m going to give it to her. My stupid YouTube Channel? Well turns out when you have as many followers as I do, and you’ve got a real agent, it does equal money. Lots of it. Enough that I don’t need your fucking job. So, I’m done.”
Her face goes slack.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, the check from the production company that didn’t think my YouTube channel was stupid cleared a couple of days ago. And it means that yesterday afternoon, I moved my mother and her nurse into the house I closed on yesterday morning. It means that I can get into that Uber and have it take me to a dealership and buy myself a car. It means I’m done being your whipping post. It means I get to live my fucking life.”
Nanette’s face contorts into a mask of rage. She leans toward me, her face red, her eyes wide and menacing. But I’m not scared. She’s done her worst already.
“You are so fucking disloyal,” she spits. “I made you.” She points at me. “Do you think you’d even have an agent if I hadn’t put you on the map? You owe me!” she growls.
I scoff in disgust, of course. She only cares about how she can benefit.
“You’ve gotten everything from me that I’ll ever give you. You’re lucky I haven’t turned your little prostitution ring into the police,” I tell her.
She pales, but her expression loses all of its expression. “You know what? You think you’re holding all the cards. Tell the police whatever you want. I’m just a matchmaker. I set up consenting adults. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you thought your sex was mandatory, Graham, I’m sorry. Did any of your clients have to force you to fuck them?” she asks, eyebrow arched.
“No, but you can’t pretend you didn’t know what you were setting us up for,” I tell her, shocked that she’s even attempting to.
“Of course, I can. And I will,” she says with an expression that is completely devoid of any emotion.
My blood runs cold. But she’s not done. She crosses her arms over her chest.
“Since you’re in the mood to play blackmail. Let’s see how your production company feels about the fact that you were selling your ass to pay for the lifestyle you flaunted on Instagram. How many sponsors will want to buy advertising on a show where the host is a whore?”
Her jab hits home. My chest aches because I can’t refute that.
She laughs cruelly. “Didn’t think of that, did you? Well, don’t forget it. I go down, you go down. I’m not losing my income. I’ll expect you to make me the same amount of money every month.”
My mouth grows dry.
“I’m done, Nanette.”
“So you said. I’ll miss the delicious body. And so will your clients. You’ve got a great cock, Graham. But I can find another.” She smiles coldly. “Just make sure you pay me what I paid you every month and you’ll be fine. You live your life, and I’ll live mine.”
“You’re the fucking devil,” I snarl at her.
“That’s right, Graham. And you’re stuck in hell with me.” She laughs, winks, and then turns around and jogs back up to her house.
I turn around and keep walking. She thinks she’s won. Let her. What Nanette paid me every month isn’t a lot of money to me now. And if it just means that I can have my life back, it’s the best value for money I’ve gotten in my life.
I get into my Uber and pull my phone out. I scroll through and dial a number I haven’t dialed in three years. I hold my breath and hope that she’ll answer this time.
“Hello?” The singsong voice on the other end of the phone makes me smile.
“Tante Isabel?” I ask quietly.
“This isn’t … Graham? Is it?” she asks, and I relax at the smile I hear in her voice.
“Wow. I didn’t expect to hear your voice again,” she says coolly.
“Yeah, we lost touch,” I say vaguely.
“Ah, is that what you call stomping all over a young girl’s heart?” she asks sweetly, almost absentmindedly.
